Most of us celebrate birthdays with presents, parties and cakes. Country Meadows of York resident Allen Ziegler celebrated his 90th birthday by jumping out of a plane. “I thought to myself, ‘why not? What have I got to lose?’ he says.
Ziegler was inspired by Country Meadows co-worker Garrett Kistler, 25, director of Independent Living, after Kistler shared the video from his first skydive. Kistler recalls, “One day Allen asked to see my [skydiving] video again at happy hour and told me he was seriously thinking about doing it. Then he came to me and said, ‘I decided I want to go.’”
Ziegler adds, “I wanted to try something different and Garrett made it sound so doggone exciting.”
Walking in to Ziegler’s apartment it is quickly apparent that he is a fan of aviation. More than a dozen model airplanes, all made by Ziegler since moving to Country Meadows, adorn the walls. “After the war I used the GI Bill to learn to fly,” says Ziegler. “It was something I always wanted to do since I had my first airplane ride when I was five years old. Ever since then, I was ready to fly.” He enjoyed taking passengers for rides during his years as a private pilot.
He even admits that he did think about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. When I used to fly I would look out the window and asked to myself many times, ‘if I had to, would I be willing to jump?’”
Apparently so and on a crisp, clear autumn day, Ziegler and Kistler made the trip to Above the Poconos Skydivers near Hazleton, Pa. The center is run by Don Kellner who holds the Guinness World Record for the most parachute jumps at more than 40,000 jumps.
As novice skydivers, Ziegler and Kistler signed up for a tandem jump during which each man is connected to a harness attached to a certified instructor. After some introductory tandem training, the men were ready.
Ziegler recalls being more interested in the plane ride than the actual jump…at first. “While we were going up, I was trying to see the instruments, to see how we were flying, rate of climb, altitude, speed. We were really crammed in!”
As the plane ascended through the clouds to 10,000 feet, Ziegler was reminded of a saying that was written on his hands as a reminder: “YO” on his right hand and “LO” on his left: You only live once. Then the doors opened and it was time to jump.
“They told us before we went up that when they open the door, I should put my right leg over the side,” says Ziegler. “Next thing [the certified tandem jumper] pushed me out of the plane!” The teams experienced a 30-second free-fall for 5,000 feet before deploying the parachute.
“I was scared as a dickens until the chute opened,” says Ziegler. “When the chute opened, things slowed down and it got quieter. By that time we were through the clouds, and I could see. I started looking around and trying to pick out the airport. When you’re up that high, everything looks different.”
A few minutes later, the brave souls were safely on the ground. Ziegler says, “When we landed, Garrett pulled me up. Then we started walking toward the terminal and there were a bunch of people over there. They started clapping and I couldn’t understand why.”
“Just being with him during the whole thing was an unbelievable experience,” says Kistler. “Being able to fly up with him, sitting on the plane with him next to me and seeing the look on his face, because he was excited…it was just, amazing. It was a special moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. He’s a special guy.”
The two men have formed a special bond with each other through the many interactions they have on campus. In his role, Kistler creates opportunities for residents to interact and have new experiences, but believes that he benefits the most. “[The residents] don’t realize how much they’re making a difference in my life,” he says, emotionally. “I come here with a smile on my face and I leave with a smile on my face. They make me laugh, give me advice…I’ve learned so much from them just sitting and talking. This job is the best part of my life.”
And part of his job is to help create resident experiences; a job well done for Ziegler. “Jumping out of a plane certainly was an amazing experience!” Ziegler concludes. “I would have to rank [skydiving] as one of the most exciting things I’ve done in my 90 years.”
Editor’s Note: Click here to watch the video from Ziegler’s skydive.